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Mike Johnson: I was just going to ask you, the natural followup is what's the happiest you've ever been thanks to pro wrestling?
EC3: The happiest I've ever been? Ooh.
Mike Johnson: Thanks to wrestling. I don't want to offend anybody outside of the wrestling bubble here.
EC3: No. No, just the fact I started talking about it, I got a little teary-eyed. So give me a second. Here we go. Come on, you're a tough man. You can get through this. Okay. The happiest I've ever been because of wrestling... Hold on. All right. See? I was happy once. It was I wrestled Kurt. I beat him for the world title. Celebrating, whatever, cameras on, but the cameras go off, and I roll out. My mom was there and my dad, my fiance at the time. I hugged them. I was happy. The end. Now that's very vivid.
Mike Johnson: So is your goal to get back to a moment like that, or create something different that makes you equally happy?
EC3: It's got to be different. I don't think I could top that one from that perspective. That was a culmination of so much other things that since then it's been a slew of different things that have been tough, but conquered challenges, but that specific one, I don't think I could ever replicate.
Mike Johnson: So stepping into the future, what's your hope for what fans find in EC3 going forward? We talked about your personal satisfaction. What's your goal, in terms of trying to make fans entertained, trying to make them happy, trying to bring them into how you brand yourself going forward? What's your goal, and what do you hope fans get out of EC3 once we hit July 18th and you're looking for a fight?
EC3: I wish I could better plan out endgame goals instead of just crazy things that get me from point A to point B. But my goal for fans is take it for whatever you want it to be. If you think it's just a whining, stiff-bodied guy yelling at the camera, and you want to boo him, that's fine. If you think there's a depth, an art to what I'm saying and creating, and you want to control your narrative, you understand that lifestyle and what that means, you can have it; if really speaks to you, that's great. If it's, "I like this guy, he's kind of funny. Oh, he looks great," I just want whatever effort I put in, the fan can get what it was meant to give them out of it. Whether it's a foil for some guy they like better and they like the other guy more than me because of what I did with the lead guy, that's perfectly fine. If it's somebody that truly finds inspiration in the craziness I spout, that's optimal. As long as the effort I put in gives somebody something.
Mike Johnson: So as I start to wrap this up, let me ask you this. What's the most exciting thing about being on the cusp of being able to create the next chapter for yourself? You're standing on the cliff. You're going to dive off. We don't know what's going to happen. It might be the greatest thing to ever happen. It might go sideways, just like EC3 versus Dean Ambrose. What's the most exciting thing about being in this moment, knowing that you're about to take the next great leap?
EC3: Knowing that there's unknown, because there's something wild, especially in life where everyone needs to know everything that's happening with every time and can't have surprises or we can't be told a story without knowing what's going to happen. Yet just knowing that I don't know, I have no clue, that's kind of exciting, because then you don't know what's coming next. Then from that, something great may come. It might go sideways. Who knows? It might be a big old colossal flop, but at least I'll know, and at least I don't know going into it. I like that. I like the aspect of, yeah, I have no clue.
Mike Johnson: Every great adventure takes a first step, and every roller coaster hits that first dip, and you don't know what's coming after. That's kind of where you are right now.
EC3: Oh, what's that theory that most Star Wars is based on? The Hero's Journey.
Mike Johnson: Oh, The Hero's Journey by Joseph Campbell.
EC3: That's it. I knew you're smart.
Mike Johnson: I try.
EC3: Yeah, where are we at on this one? Where are we at on-
Mike Johnson: I'm not sure if we hit Dagobah yet, but perhaps very soon.
EC3: Beautiful.
Mike Johnson: If I got to make a Star Wars reference, it's a happy day. I want to thank you for sitting down. You've always been extremely open and very bearing of everything that you've been through in your life and your career when we sit down and do these. So I really appreciate that. I'm glad you're doing well and you're healthy. I can feel like... It's very rare that I can feel the electricity kind of coming through, but I almost feel it radiating off of you, like you're just dying for that moment where the starter pistol shoots and you're out the gate. I can just feel it. You just need it. You want it, and that usually means that something Amazing is going to happen for that talent. I think I speak for everybody who's been through the trials and tribulations of the last couple of months. We need some great stuff to happen for good people. It would be nice for you if it was you.
EC3: We all do.
Mike Johnson: Yeah, in general.
EC3: It would be, but it would be nice for anybody. I appreciate that very much. You know where we're at, Michael?
Mike Johnson: Where's that?
EC3: In the Hero's Journey? We're at the abyss. We're in the death and the rebirth.
Mike Johnson: So basically you're on Bespin. We're on Bespin, and we just lost our hand and found out the bad guy is our dad.
EC3: Yeah. Exactly what I was going to say.
Mike Johnson: All right. So we're off to Jabba the Hutt.
EC3: Let's go. Grado shot first! I mean Greedo.
Mike Johnson: Greedo did not shoot first, sir. Let's knock that sh** off right now.
EC3: [Laughs] I know.
Mike Johnson: I love George Lucas. I don't understand what the hell that was about. I never will.
EC3: Why change... We all have the tendency to overthink and overanalyze and then tinker with what we have. Sometimes we just got to let it lie. It's perfect the way it is.
Mike Johnson: The whole redemption of Han Solo going from this smuggler who cares more about himself than anyone else to caring about Leia and the Rebellion and Luke and the greater good. That first moment with Greedo kind of sets him out on that journey. They kind of took that away from us, at least those of us who don't have our VHS copies, it was taken away from, because I would much rather put on the VHS copy.
EC3: Well, they got a ring around the Death Star exploding now, so technology. You get it.
Mike Johnson: There's that. See, and a CGI Jabba the Hutt. So there you go. All right. Now that we've dived into the Star Wars Special Edition, I want to thank everybody for sitting down and listening to this. [Laughs' EC3, I want to thank you again for sitting down and talking to us. I sincerely am looking forward to seeing what the next chapter of your career will be. I look forward to writing about it. Look forward to talking about it. Look forward to sitting down with you and commiserating about it, whether it becomes something great or it goes off the cliff again. We will see... Well, before we go, I want a chance to kind of... Do you have any final words for everybody who's supported you over the years or is like you in the abyss right now, looking to climb out? What's your message to people who are kind of trapped in this vortex that we're all living in?
EC3: Great question. Well, first off, when somebody's a fan of mine, I do appreciate that from the cockles of my heart, because you don't realize the kind of impact that has on people until you see it play out. Oh, that feels pretty good. If I had any life advice or positive thoughts, affirmations to go forward, I would say first off, go to www.freeec3.com, get yourself a Control Your Narrative t-shirt and a personal affirmation, which is also an eight by 10, and I'll write you one out personally. But now that the shilling of merchandise is over and you've already liked me on Facebook and Instagram and Twitter, I'd say control your narrative. That's not just something I say as a wrestling character. That's tell your story. Don't be afraid to feel. Don't be afraid to act. Don't be afraid to think. How you deal with disappointment, disaster, defeat is what's defining you as a person. So you go through it. Everyone does. Control your narrative, telling your story is the best thing you can do for your head, and at least satisfaction that no matter what happens, you tried, and you put your best effort forward. Stuff like that.
Mike Johnson: All right. Well sir, I thank you for sitting down and telling us a little bit of your story today, and we look forward to seeing not what the next chapter might be, but the next book. As he said, you can follow him on Facebook and Instagram and all those other places. EC3, thank you so much for sitting down with us.
EC3: Yeah. All right. Thank you, bro.
For more on EC3, visit www.facebook.com/therealec3!
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